Family death forces Alessio Sakara out of UFC 116, August return possible

Family death forces Alessio Sakara out of UFC 116, August return possible

http://mmajunkie.comA death in the family has forced UFC middleweight Alessio Sakara out of July’s UFC 116 event and a planned bout with Nate Marquardt.

Sakara’s manager, Dan Lambert, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Sakara will remain in Italy following his father’s death but hopes to make a return in August.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer first reported the bout’s cancellation over the weekend.

Sakara (15-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC), an Italian boxer who was set to fight for the 12th time under the UFC banner, is making funeral arrangements and spending time with his family, which would have forced a hole in his training camp.

He opted to pull out of the bout, and UFC officials are searching for a replacement to fight Marquardt at the July 3 event. Sakara vs. Marquardt was expected to be part of the night’s televised main card, though the fight (and event) have not been officially announced by the UFC.

Sakara, who hit a rough 1-3 stretch in the UFC in 2007, had recent success and will go for his fourth consecutive win when he does return to the cage. During his recent streak, he scored knockout wins over Joe Vedepo and James Irvin and a split-decision victory over Thales Leites.

Although no exact date had been determined for his return, Sakara has a few options. UFC on Versus 1 is set for Aug. 1, UFC 117 is slated for Aug. 7, and UFC 118 takes place Aug. 28.

TORONTO – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s early and official UFC 206 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT). Join us for a live video stream and official results.

ALBANY, N.Y. – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s UFC Fight Night 102 event at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., which kicks off at 5:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.